Cutter



Patented Dec. I3, I898.

0. K. HOSTETTER.

CUTTER. (Application filed Feb. 4, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CHRISTIAN K. HOSTETTER, OF MOUNT JOY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 61 5,988, dated December 13, 1898.

Application filed February 4, 1898. Serial No. 66 9,055. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN K. HOSTET- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Joy, in the county of Lancaster, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of cutters adapted more particularly for cutting bread; and the objects of the improvements are, first, to cut bread in slices of uniform thickness; second, to construct a cutter in which the thickness of the slices cut may be varied, and, third, to afford a yielding bearing for the gage regulating the thickness of the slices. e

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the various parts, as hereinafter fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention, the cutter-box being in operating position; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the cutter-box, shown in operating position; Fig. 3, an inner face View of a part of the side of the bread-box, a hinged bearing for the cutter-box being attached thereto; and Fig. 4, a bottom plan view of the cutter-box. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified construction of the cutter box, and Fig. 6 a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 7 is a side view of the knife used with my cutter.

Similar letters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the details of the drawings, A is the bread-box, the sides whereof are indicated by a and a, respectively, and the ends by a".

A is a hinge-rod extending across one end of the bread-box and somewhat below the top thereof.

B is the cutter-box, on the rear end. of which are rearwardly-extending arms I), having perforations through which hinge-rod A loosely passes, whereby the cutter-box is lowered into or raised from the bread-box. From one side of the free end of the cutter-box extends horizontally an arm I), having a hook I) on its end adapted to take over the edge of side a of the bread-box, and on the opposite side of the same end of the cutter-box is a horizontal arm b adapted to rest upon a plate D, secured to the inner face of side Ct of the bread-box. To this side a of said bread-box are attached three lugs a a and a arranged in a horizontal line, two of these lugs (L3 and a being located to support plate D in position to be engaged by arm I) of the cutter-box. Plate D has passing through it a vertical pin d, which engages loosely in a vertical opening in lug a forming a hinge about which plate D turns horizontally. When not in use, cutter-box B is swung down into the bread-box, as shown by broken lines B, Fig. 2, and plate D is turned to rest on lu s a and a as seen in Fi 3. b 9 b Cutter-box B is movable sidewise on hingerod A, and when it is to be placed in an operative position the free end thereof is raised and said box is moved toward side a, of the bread-box, so that hook b may take over the .edge of said side, and while said free end of the bread-box is raised the free end of plate D is swung around to rest on lug a after which said free end of the bread-box is lowered, so that hook engages side a of the bread-box and arm 12 bears on plate D.

Cutter-box B comprises two longitudinal sills E, a crossbar E, connecting the rear ends of sills E, a cross-bar E intermediate of the ends .of sills E, two side walls E one being erected on each of said sills E, and a bottom plate E supported by sills E and having a centrally-located longitudinal slot 6. On bottom plate E rests a bread-plate F, having side walls F, and on the top of the front ends of side walls F are plates f, extending beyond the fronts of said side walls. In plates f and the front of the bread-plate,which projects be yond the side walls,are journaled antifrictionrollers F and outside of antifriction-rollers F on the bread-plate are posts F which, with said antifriction-rollers, form guideways f for the knife K, used in cutting the bread. The bread-plate is connected with bottom plate E by a screw-pin e, passing down through slot 6 and having on the lower end thereof a thumb-nut 6 by loosening which the bread-plate is adjusted lengthwise of the cutter-box.

Beneath bottom plate E is a gage-plate G, resting upon cleatsg, secured to sills E, and

said gage-plate has therein an opening g to receive screw-pin c. On the rear end of gageplate G is a tongue G, which extends rearwardly and passes loosely through openings in cross-bars E and E and around said tongue is coiled a spring S, one end whereof bears against cross bar E and the other against a screw-nut 9 adjustable on the threaded outer end of said tongue, and on the front of the gage-plate is a rib G extending upward above bread-plate F.

In operating the loaf of bread (illustrated by broken lines H in Fig. 2) is placed on breadplate F, with the end thereof bearing against rib G The knife K is then inserted in guideways f and a slice of bread is cut from the loaf, falling over rib G2 into the bread-box, and as each slice is cut the loaf is moved up again against rib G The upper surface of the bread-plate may be roughened, as shown at R. The thickness of the slice out is determined by the distance between guideways f and rib G and this distance is regulated by adjusting bread-plate F by means of screwpin e',passing down through slot 6 and thumbnut 6 As a slice of bread is being out the pressure against rib G as the knife approaches it causes said rib to yield by reason of the spring connection of the gage-plate with the cutter-box, thus permitting the slice to be out of equal thickness and without compressing the lower edge of said slice.

A modified construction of my invention is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Here the bread-box M has guideways m in opposite walls thereof for the passage of knife K, and in said breadbox is secured a stationary bread-plate M. In front of the bread-plate is an adjustable horizontally-disposed gage-frame N, located just above the upper surface of the breadplate. From the outer side of gage-frame N extends a threaded pin N, which passes loosely through an opening in the end M of the bread-box. Above pin N a flat spring P has its upper end secured to said box end M and through the lower end of said spring pin N passes loosely. On pin N are two nuts, one, a, bearing against the outer face of end M of the bread-box, the other, 77,, being located between spring P and the adjacent bar 01- of gage-frame N. In operating the end of the loaf is placed against bar 01 of said gageframc, and as the knife severs the lower edge of the slice gage-frame N yields, as seen in Fig. 6, in which the gage-frame and spring P are shown in the position they occupy as the lower edge of a slice isbeing severed from the loaf. The distance of the inner side of the gage-frame from guideways m and the position of spring P on pin N are adjusted by nuts '11- and n.

I do not confine myself to the details of the construction herein shown and described, as it is obvious that many alterations may be made therein without departing, from the principle and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of an adjustable board for supporting the loaf, uprights on said board and forming guideways for a knife, and a yielding bearing for an end of the loaf, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of a cutter-box, a bread-board on the bottom of the cutterbox and adjustable lengthwise thereof, means for securing the bread-board in an adjusted position, u prights on the breadboard and forming guideways for a knife, antifriotion-rollers in the guideways, and a yielding bearing for an end of the loaf, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of a on tter-box havinga slot in the bottom thereof, a bread-board on the bottom of the cutterbox, uprights on the bread-board and forming guideways for a knife, a screw-pin projecting downward from the bread-board and through the slot in the bottom of the cutterbox, a nut on the screw-pin, a gage-plate beneath the bottom of the cutter-box, a tongue on the rear end of the gage-plate and passing through cross-bars of the cutter-box, a boss on said tongue, a spring coiled around the tongue and. having one end bearing against said boss and the other end against a crossbar in front of the boss, and a rib on the front of the gage-board and rising above the bread-board, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

CHRISTIAN K. HOSTETTER.

Vitnesses:

JACOB I-IALBAGH, WM. B. GERHART. 

